The Xmen Chrismtas Carol
by Red Eyed Cajun
Summary: Magneto is visited by three familiar spirits that show him his past, the present and the future. Can they show him the error of his ways and prevent the future to come. Includes Remy, Rogue, Pyro, Colossus, Wanda, Pietro, Logan and everyone else.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Authors Note: I have a tendency to not finish stories so i thought i'll just do this one all together rather than draw it out. This is a x-men version of A Christmas Carol. It's not completely the same, i've taken some liberties with it, along with some of the characters. I've taken some of the characters from the Comicverse but i've tried to put them in so that it doesn't clash. so please enjoy.

* * *

"And that's the plan…well?"

Silence

"Well what?" asked one of them.

"Well, what do you think?"

They looked at each other daring the other person to speak.

"Well, it sounds…good."

"Bien."

"Hmm."

Magneto stared back at them, "Well, get to it then, start preparing."

They didn't move.

"I said," started Magneto trying to gain control of his anger, "Go-"

"It's Christmas!" wailed Pyro.

Silence

"So," said Magneto walking back to his seat, "That is sort of the point. They'll all be indoors, unsuspecting, unprepared while we attack."

"Well yeah, you could do that, _or, _you could, you know just sort of, _not _attack."

Gambit and Colossus slowly moved away from Pyro as Magneto turned to face him.

"It's just in the past I've always had this big Christmas feast and I was gonna do that this year too, you know, for us." Said Pyro trying to defend himself although he felt like he was digging his own Grave.

"Does anyone else feel this way."

"T'tell yo' de truth Magneto I did sort of have plans for Christmas." said Gambit cautiously.

"Oh. What plans?"

"Jus' ya know, Presents, dinner an' all dat."

"By yourself?"

"Uh. Non."

"With who then?"

"A person. Ya don' know dem…well."

"Uh huh, and what about you Colossus, do you have Christmas plans too?"

Colossus was about to reply when Pyro cut in, "Pitor wants to go see his sister in the hospital, she's not well you see and-"

"Am I to assume, that what you are all in fact asking is to have the day off?"

Silence.

"Yes."

"Oui."

"Hmm."

He looked at each of them and sighed.

"Fine. I'll put the plan on hold." They smiled, "Until boxing day. And you all better be there. Now get out before I reverse your blood flow."

He was watching them leave quickly when another person appeared suddenly in front of him.

"Happy Hanukkah Father, and a Merry Christmas!" said Pietro laying a present on the desk.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came to give you your present, that's from me _and _Wanda by the way, and to invite you to Christmas dinner."

"You're celebrating Christmas."

"Well, we're sort of doing a bit of both. You see I told the guys about the whole eight days of presents and they liked it, but they still wanted to do Christmas as well. So, here I am, inviting you to join us."

"You're wasting you're breathe."

"If this is about Mo-"

"Get out of here."

"But-"

"NOW! And take your present with you."

Pietro picked up the present that was thrown at him and looked back at his father, "Bye dad."

The door slammed shut behind him.

* * *

It was Christmas Eve and Eric Lensher was happily spending it by himself. He hadn't heard anything from his acolytes meaning that they must be going ahead with their Christmas plans.

"Idiots." muttered Eric as he sat in his room reading 'A Tale of Two Cities'.

It had only begun to strike midnight when he thought he heard a noise coming from downstairs. Unworried he stood up and went down the stairs with the intention of hurting the person who had destroyed his peace severely. That was until he saw the person.

"You?!"

"Yes, me." said Nathanial Essex rising from the chair he sat in, "Long time no see Eric."

"You're dead!"

"Well you would know."

"You were working for apocalypse."

"I used to be your friend, until of course, my plans interfered with yours." Said Mr Sinister, "And then you did everything in your power to get rid of me."

"You started experimenting on Mutants!"

"You didn't mind when it was humans."

"That was different."

"Not really. At least the mutants could try to defend themselves, the humans had nothing. But believe me when I say it Eric, I'm paying for it now." Said Sinister moving towards The Master of Magnetism.

It was then he noticed that around the wrists and ankles of the man where chains that seemed to go on forever behind him.

"Why are you wearing chains?"

"Not by choice. Every link of these chains is the lives that I have ruined." he said picking up one of the heavy chains.

"But there are so many. You haven't killed that many people." said Eric backing away.

"I said ruined, not Killed."

"But-"

"The Mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, friends of the people I killed, are their lives not ruined too." he said with a smile.

"Are you here to tell me to stop then?" he said sarcastically.

"No. I'm here as a warning. Of course, there's nothing I would like more than seeing you rot with me. But apparently they have other plans for you. Tonight you shall be visited by three spirits-"

"I think I've read this story-"

"Past, present and future, each on the hour-"

"Xavier's messing with my head isn't he-?"

"The first spirit arrives when the clock strikes one," Sinister was beginning to fade along with his chains, "And Xavier is not messing with your head, you're still wearing your helmet."

Eric was alone, again.

* * *

The clock struck one.

Eric woke up to find his room, empty.

"Dreaming" he muttered and was about to fall asleep when his whole room was lit up. Burning.

"I am the ghost of Christmas past" said someone in an overly dramatic voice.

"Pyro?"

The light faded away revealing the 'ghost' which did look very like Pyro only he was wearing a tunic that seemed to be made of autumn leaves and sported a crown of the same.

"Who?" said the spirit/Pyro.

"Pyro, what are you wearing?"

"These are the clothes of Christmas past. Eric Lensher, I am here to take you on a journey."

"Where?"

"Well, to your past of course. Now take my hand."

"I'm not taking your hand."

The spirit grabbed his hand and Eric immediately felt a burning sensation all around him. But as soon as it had appeared it was gone and he found himself standing in a very familiar place.

"Why have you brought me here?"

"So that you may have a greater understanding of yourself and your actions." said Pyro standing out against the snow that covered everywhere around them.

"I don't celebrate Christmas." said Eric turning his back to the camp.

"You didn't celebrate anything here." said Pyro walking past him.

"I will not go back to that place."

"You lost your mother, father and sister."

"I lost everything!"

"And yet you survived."

"I came out stronger. And I learned about _Humanity_. History repeats itself they say, and it shall happen again, with us, with mutants if we do not act now."

There was silence for a long time.

"Look Eric Lensher."

"I will not. I will not look at you _or _that place."

"I said LOOK!" cried Pyro brining up flames around Eric until he was forced by the heat to turn and look.

But what he saw was not Auschwitz, the place where he had been tortured and persecuted. It was a small dinning room that had one table and three chairs. On the table there were three place settings and in one of the seats was a little girl.

"Anya." whispered Eric moving towards the little girl.

"You managed to escape the camp with a gypsy woman called Magda," said Pyro watching Eric intently, "You married and you had a daughter."

Suddenly a much younger looking Eric entered the room.

"Anya have you washed your hands?" he said as the little girl ran towards him.

"Yes papa." and Eric swung her up into his arms.

A woman also came into the room carrying a tray with a chicken on it. They were all smiling and laughing, celebrating.

"Is this Christmas or Hanukkah you are celebrating?" asked the Spirit.

"Both," replied the older Eric, "we were just, celebrating everything. Being alive, surviving, finding love. Just celebrating."

"Papa may I open my present yet!" asked the little girl.

"Shush, its not time yet," said Magda.

"Oh let her." said the young Eric.

"It's wonderful papa, its just what I wanted!" said Anya rushing back to the table with the doll and hugging her father, "Thank you."

There were tears in the older Eric's eyes.

"This was your last Christmas together. It is a shame that she died so young." Said Pyro.

"A fire. I tried to save her but…"

"The Humans wouldn't let you. The fire had been burning for a while before you had arrived, if they had let you go in you would have died. And you repaid those humans in kind by killing them all when your mutant powers emerged."

"I could have saved her!"

"Who were you to pass judgement on them. And killing them, did it make things better? Did it bring back your daughter? No. All it did was make your wife flee from you."

"How dare you speak to me like that!" said Eric rounding on Pyro accessing those powers, but nothing happened.

"You cannot use your powers on me. Come Eric Lensher, there is one more Christmas to see."

Again he took Eric's hand and this time he found himself in a cold, white building.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"You do not know?"

"It looks familiar but I cannot place it."

"Well, after all, this isn't your Christmas, it's hers." Said Pyro pointing into a room that was near them.

Slowly Eric walked through the door to find himself in a cold white room which seemed to have padded walls and in the corner sat a young girl with long black hair.

"Who is she?"

"You do not know her?"

"Wanda." said a small voice from behind them.

The little girl looked up and she smiled, something she clearly didn't do often.

"Pietro." she said, barely audible.

The silver haired boy ran towards her and hugged her. Pulling away he handed her a present, "This is for you. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas."

"Your supposed to pick one I think," said the little girl with a slight giggle.

"Well I'll just go for both, you know, just in case," he said smiling, "open your present!"

The girl took off the wrapping paper carefully, being careful to not rip any of it. Inside was a teddy bear.

"It's the one we saw in the shop that day, remember." said Pietro excitedly and quickly, "I was passing by that shop the other day and I thought 'I know, I'll get it for Wanda'"

"It's lovely Pietro, thank you," said the little girl hugging her brother again, "is, is father with you."

The smile on the boys face quickly faded away and he became uncomfortable, "No."

"That, that's ok," said the girl, although a tear was escaping from her eye, "he's, he's probably really busy."

Her brother quickly hugged her again.

"What were you doing?" asked Pyro.

"I was outside," replied Eric, "in the car."

The scene in front of him faded away and soon Eric found himself back in his room. He turned to speak to the spirit but he was gone. Eric sat on the bed. After a while he put his hands over his face to hide the tears that were know flowing from his eyes.

* * *

The clock struck two.

He must have fallen asleep again as when he woke up his room was filled with food. And standing at the end of his bed, leaning on the bed post, eating an apple was Gambit. He was grinning madly.

"Good Morning Eric Lensher, I am de ghost of Christmas Present." Said the spirit/Gambit with a bow.

He was wearing what looked like a large coat that had been made out of hideous green curtains, and around his head was a crown of holly. He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out another apple throwing it to Eric.

"Morning? It's only two o'clock."

"Oh really? Look again."

Eric looked at the clock again only this time it stated that it was eight o'clock. Which meant that it was Christmas morning.

"It's Christmas." he said blankly.

"Oui, Christmas Morning. Eat yer apple, it's good fo' ya."

Eric took a bite, "This is the best apple I've ever tasted"

"All de better for it bein' Christmas." said Gambit sweeping open the closet doors and throwing a coat at Eric, "C'mon, dere's no use stayin' inside on Christmas."

Eric followed Gambit out into the street where over night it had been covered in snow. There were lots of children running around having snowball fights, making snowmen and playing with new toys. Some adults were out as well testing some of their Christmas presents.

"Why are they all out so early?"

"It's Christmas! Some of dese people have been up for hours!" cried Gambit and laughed at Eric's expression, "look over there, at that person coming towards us, recognise him?"

You could barely recognise the man who seemed to laden down with loads of shopping bags filled with food.

"It's the ghost of Christmas past." said Eric sarcastically.

"It's Pyro!" said Gambit, not hearing Eric's remark, "Back in Australia St John used t'help his mama wit de Christmas dinner, ever since he was five. An' he's pretty good at it. So every year he likes t'make himself an' his friends Christmas dinner."

"I had no idea."

"Ya never asked."

They walked on further until Eric realised where they were heading.

"Ah, if only you could be a spirit all the time. Then it would be much easier to get into this place." said Eric as they stepped into the Xavier Mansion.

It was pandemonium. There where kids everywhere, running around with new toys, still opening presents. He saw Storm and Logan running around trying to control them but eventually giving up and just opening their own presents. He saw Xavier sitting near them a quiet little smile on his face.

"An' t' think ya wanted t'attack dem. Today of all days." said Gambit.

"I don't know how he can stand it." said Eric although part of him was wanting to smile, the joy and laughter was certainly infectious.

He walked towards the Xavier where he was talking to Storm and Logan.

"Ya know, it's just as well Christmas only comes once a year." said Logan opening a can of beer.

"Oh I think it's wonderful." said Storm smiling, "It's the one day of the year where nobody seem's to be arguing."

"Maybe we should have invited the brotherhood," said Logan laughing, "or better yet, why not invite Magneto and his cronies."

"Ah Logan, if only we could," said Xavier with a smile, "then I feel we would have truly accomplished something. I feel Eric and the Acolytes must get very lonely at this time of year."

"Tell ya what, next year send them an invitation and if they come then I'll dress up as Santa Clause."

"It's a deal." said Xavier laughing.

There was a tug on Eric's arm and he turned round to see Gambit smiling at him.

"C'mon, someone is leavin' dis party early an' I wanna see where she's goin'." he said as he pointed to a young girl with two white streaks in her hair sneaking out the door.

They followed her all the way out of the mansion and into the park where they watched as she sat on a picnic bench.

"What is she doing?" asked Eric.

"Waitin' fo' someone I t'ink." said Gambit grinning.

Suddenly a person was running towards her and Eric saw her smile and leap into his arms. The person swung her round and planted a kiss on top of her head, it was then that Eric saw the persons face.

"But…but…but its YOU!" said Eric turning to the Spirit/Gambit.

"Non," said Gambit, "I am de ghost of Christmas past, _that _is Remy Lebeau or Gambit to you. One of yer Acolytes who is in love with the X-woman known as Rogue."

"He's what?!"

"In love. Dey have been for a while. Shall we move closer an listen t'what dey're sayin."

As they moved towards them they heard Rogue say, "Did ya bring the food?"

"What kinda silly question is dat?" said Remy picking up a picnic basket and putting it on the table, "Courtesy of our resident Australian chef."

"Ah still can't believe that Magneto was going ta attack on Christmas day. Said rogue taking the hot drink Remy passed her.

"It was a good plan, stupid and terrible, but good."

"Well, ah suppose he is evil."

"He's not dat bad."

"Remy, he wants ta kill all the humans and any mutant that sides with them."

"Yeah, well I suppose dat is evil."

"Tell meh again why ya cant leave him?"

"He used t'work alongside a man called Nathanial Essex who basically owns ma soul. So when he died it got passed onto Magneto an until he says I can leave, I'm stuck."

"So is this how its goin' ta be forever? Hidin' lahke this? Ya comin ta tell me all his plans and then during the fights pretending' ta fight each other? Ah aint sure ah can keep this up fer much longer Rem." she said putting down her cup and looking away from him.

He moved around her so he was looking into her eyes, still holding her hand, "Chere, if I only had today wit yo' den even dat would be fine. I aint gonna miss one moment bein wit yo'. I'm gonna keep tryin', but I aint gonna force yo' t'do anyt'in ya don wanna do. So yo' tell me when you've had enough of dis ol' scoundrel an' we can stop. But dat don mean I'll stop Lovin ya."

She smiled and pushed him away, "Ah hate ya. Ya can always talk yer way out of things."

"It aint ma fault I'm so charmin'."

She tackled him into the snow. They were laughing and throwing snowballs at each other as the picnic lay on the table forgotten.

"We better get goin' Eric or we're gonna miss dinner"

"Hmm, what?" said Eric tearing his eyes away from the happy scene in front of him, "they look so happy, despite everything."

"Love is a very powerful t'ing, it overcomes all sorts of difficulties" said Gambit as they walked away towards another house.

"I know this place." said Eric as the stood in the front garden.

The front door opened and out walked a girl putting on her coat. She sat on the front step hugging her knees until she was joined by a boy who handed her a hot drink.

"You're going to sit here and wait again then?" asked the boy.

"Yes." said the girl.

"He won't come."

"He might."

"You hate him."

"I hated you," said Wanda turning to face her brother, "but here we are, sitting here together."

"You think he deserves another chance?"

"Yes."

"Then I think you're on the wrong team." said Pietro smiling as Wanda lightly punched him on the arm.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Sit here with you."

She smiled as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close. Tears were threatening to escape again but he tried to keep control.

"I t'ink yo' know de endin' t'dis story." said Gambit.

Eric looked at him and saw that there was grey in that auburn hair and that he looked much older.

"Dis way, we've got one more t'ing t'see."

Again Eric found himself in a hospital. Judging from the pictures on the wall they were on the children's ward. They passed lots of beds with children in them, their families around them.

"There are so many." said Eric.

"Dere are a lot of sick children."

In the very last bed was a very small girl with blonde hair a bright blue eyes, and beside her, holding her hand was Pitor.

"Who is she?" asked Eric.

"Her name is Illanya Rasputin. Pitor brought her over from Russia because he t'ought dey would have better care for her here. Dere is, but de bills are high, an' he's not sure how long he'll be able t'keep payin' dem."

"I pay him money. I never knew what it was for."

"Yo' never asked."

"She is so young. Like, like Anya." said Eric moving to her bedside, "What has she got."

"De doctors don' know. It's a new disease, only mutants can get it. Dey're calling it de Legacy Virus."

"How long has she got?"

"A couple of months maybe. De X-men have de resources to research the Virus, maybe not in time t'make a cure, but at least somet'in t'slow de process down until dey do. Of course, if he went t'de X-men fo' help, Ya would kill him."

"But, but if I knew-"

"Come wit me."

Eric followed Gambit and he imagined that with every step the spirit took he grew older and older. When they were out the hospital Gambit turned to face Eric with a terrifying look on his face, his eyes were glowing. Out from behind him crawled two children, a girl and a boy. They looked filthy, their clothes were rags and they looked up at him with piercing eyes.

"De girl is 'want' and de boy is 'ignorance'. Fear dem both but most of all fear de boy, for 'ignorance' is de downfall of many men."

Just as soon as they appeared the two children disappeared.

Gambit sat down on a nearby bench as a bell began to toll.

"Well Eric, dis is where we say goodbye. My time is up."

"But you must stay, you have to show me more. I see now. I understand but-"

"Oui, I see dat yo' are beginning t'understand but yo' need more, and it's none dat I can give."

And with that he began to fade away as a fog began to roll in.

Eric stood up and felt a looming presence behind him. He turned and looked into the steely eyes of Colossus. He was in his metal form but draped in black.

"You are the Ghost of Christmas yet to be." said Eric.

He nodded.

"Please, tell me everything, I am willing to learn, I see now. Tell me what I must know."

He stood still.

"Will you not speak?"

The spirit began to move away and the fog began to clear revealing that they were standing I the middle of a ruined building.

"Where are we?" asked Eric.

The spirit pointed to something lying on the ground. Eric picked it up and read 'The Xavier Institute'.

"What happened here?"

But the spirit remained silent pointing only to another person who was walking through the rubble of the mansion. It was Pyro. Eric moved towards him and saw that he was crying although there seemed to be some sort of relief as well.

"John!" shouted someone. As they got closer he saw that it was Logan, "What ya doin here?"

It was not a threat, but a real question and Eric thought he heard a bit of Concern in the mans voice.

"It's over. It's all over," said the Australian sitting down on some rubble.

"Yeah kid. They're pulling down the camps now. It's gonna be a long time before everything is right again, but it will be, you'll see. It'll be a brighter day for all of us."

"Not all of us," said John.

"John-"

"HE KILLED THEM! JUST, MUDERED THEM! AND I STOOD BY AND WATCHED, AND DID NOTHING!"

"There was nothing ya could do John-"

"I watched as he murdered all those people, humans and mutants. Anyone that didn't fit his idea. I watched as he came here and destroyed this place taking you all back to his camps. And the experiments. Oh Jesus, they were awful. He made me sit in on one and I threw up, I had to leave, and, and she was only a little girl. And I was there, when he found Rogue-"

"You were there? What happened?"

"He tortured her until she told him who had been hiding her. And then, oh god, and then he got Remy and he commanded him to carry out the torture and when he refused he used his powers to control Remy into doing it. He, he couldn't bear it so the at the first chance he got he took the weapon he'd been forced to use on Rogue and, and oh Logan he killed himself. And, and after that Rogue just gave up too."

"Ya couldn't have done anything John." said Logan putting a comforting hand on his shoulder although Eric could see that he was shaking with anger, "Ya had to stay, you were helping us from the inside and that took guts kid. Standin' up to him. Well, you saw what happened to Pitor."

"But Logan, he even, his own daughter. How, how could he? I, I don't understand."

"Most likely we never will. All we can do now is hope that his Son can do a better job."

Eric turned to face the spirit, "This man is a monster. He murders young children and tortures and, and, he's a monster."

The spirit pointed.

"No spirit. I know, I know what you are taking me to see and I will not look. I know. I understand."

The spirit pointed again.

Slowly Eric started to move in that direction. He turned round.

"Spirit tell me, are these things that will definitely come to pass or can these events be altered?"

The spirit pointed to something just behind Eric.

"I cannot look. I cant. I can change. I know I can. These things will not come to pass."

The spirit pointed again. Eric turned round to look at the grave. The gravestone was covered in snow. Slowly he knelt down and brushed the snow off. It read;

Here Lies

Eric Lensher

Magneto the Tyrant

Child Murder

Torturer

Slain by his Son

A hand shot up through the earth and grabbed Eric pulling him down into the earth screaming and shouting while the Spirit stood watching, silent.

* * *

Eric woke to find himself in his own bed in his place. Alive. With a future ahead of him. He got up quickly and dressed, not in his armour but in clothes. Proper, normal, warm clothes. There was a knock at the door and an Australian voice said, "Are you wanting some breakfast sir, Only I'm making pancakes-"

The door burst open and there was Magneto smiling at him.

"John!" he boomed, "Can you tell me John, what day is it today?"

"Christmas but-"

"Christmas! They have done it all in one night. But of course they have, they're spirits they can do that!"

"Sir are you feeling alright?"

"John I have never felt better in my entire life. And now to work! I want you to cook Christmas dinner John just like you used to do in the past-" and much to Pyro's dismay he watched as the Master of Magnetism giggled, "-and then I want you to take it all to the Xavier Mansion."

"WHAT?"

"Yes, I think we'll have Christmas dinner there."

"Are we invited?!"

"I'm quite sure there is a standing invitation," he said with a knowing smile, "now you do that, I have some other things to do."

John watched as Magneto almost skipped out of the door. When the door had shut and he could no longer hear Magneto's calls of 'Merry Christmas' he said, "WHAT THE HELL?!"

* * *

"Ah ha, here you are!"

"Magneto sir. Uh hello. I was jus', ya know, havin' ma traditional Christmas walk through de park-"

"Remy! Hi! Did ya-Magneto?!!"

"Rogue! Delighted to see you. Well now, isn't this interesting. An x-man and an Acolyte in Love! Well now, isn't that wonderful!"

"Wonderful?!" they said together.

"Yes, it provides an excellent opportunity to finally bridge the gap between us don't you think?"

"Well ah guess-"

"Wonderful! Now I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, nothing like a third wheel eh? And Remy we're having Christmas Dinner at the Xavier Mansion, John's cooking. See you later, and OH! And as from now Remy you are released from my service.

"What? Right Now?!"

"Well there's no time like the present. And OH!…Merry Christmas!"

They watched him walk away and then looked at each other and began to laugh.

* * *

And there they were, both sitting there on the step, exactly in the same position they had been in last night. He slowly walked up the path towards them and suddenly he felt a great knot in his stomach. When they spotted him the stood up quickly and stared at him unbelievingly.

"Wanda, Pietro." he said and smiled.

They took a step back.

"No, no don't please," he said moving towards them, "There is nothing I can do to make up for what I've done to you. But if you'll let me I'd like to start now. If, if you can forgive me."

They stood in silence for a while. Suddenly Wanda broke away from Pietro and ran to her father putting her arms around him and holding him. Slowly Pietro walked forward.

"No more second chances, this is it." he said.

" I know." said Eric and pulled him close as well.

They stayed like that for a while, until Eric noticed the time.

"Now I know you invited me for dinner but I have a suggestion. Let's go to the Xavier Mansion. Have Christmas there."

"What?!"

"In fact get Toad and Blob and Lance oh and what the hell, grab Mystique as well and lets go."

"You're Serious."

"Deadly, now there's one more stop I've got to make but I'll be there as soon as I can."

And with that he left, running down the path. Wanda turned to her brother and said, "I told you he would come."

* * *

He walked down the ward again seeing all the families, until he reached the last bed.

"Hello there." he said to the girl giving her a small smile.

"Hello," she said weakly giving him a smile too.

"Is your name Illanya?" asked Eric sitting down beside her.

"Da,"

"I'm Eric. Is your brother here?"

"Da." and she pointed behind Eric to the stunned Russian who was standing with his mouth open staring at the scene in front of him.

"Ah, Pitor, just the man I was looking for. I just wanted to say that, if we took her to the mansion maybe they could find something to help her. I'm not saying cure, but maybe something to give her more time. To give her, a future. We could take her there now, and I'll pay for anything they need to get her."

Pitor was about to speak when Eric said, "I've been very unfair to you Pitor. When you came to me for help all I did was turn you into a criminal. And I hope that one day you and Illanya can forgive me."

Pitor stood there still and speechless. Suddenly he lunged at Eric enveloping him in a bear like hug. And said quietly, "Thank you."

* * *

Needless to say Logan was stunned to see John arrive at the mansion with lots of food and when he told him that he's been sent there by Magneto he could hardly believe it. In fact he didn't and nearly shut the door on him. But Xavier let him in. He was shortly followed by the Brotherhood who also said that Magneto had sent them. And then coming through the door arm in arm was Rogue and Gambit, who again was sent by Magneto.

Logan had nearly had enough when the doorbell rang again and there was Pitor and Magneto. In Magneto's arms was a young girl who was looking up at magneto with complete devotion.

"Hello, Merry Christmas," said Magneto stepping into the mansion with the young girl. He walked right up to Hank who was also agog at all the people present and carefully put the young girl into his arms, "this girl, Illanya Rasputin has something they call the Legacy Virus she needs your help, I'll pay for anything you need, just help her get better, please."

"I, I will, of course." said Hank.

"Well now this indeed is a wonderful surprise Eric."

"Merry Christmas Charles."

"I don't believe you could have given me a better present."

"Well maybe a taupe."

The professor laughed and soon everyone had joined in.

"Jesus, all we need now is Santa Claus." said Logan.

"Funny you should say that Logan." said Eric grinning.

They all sat down to have the feast that John had made for them and discovered the Aussie really did have a talent for cooking. The table was full of laughter and joy and although not devoid of arguments, no one was fighting. After dinner Magneto took his three Acolytes aside and said, "I just wanted to say to you all, thank you. For everything."

And with a smile he left the.

"What was that about?" Asked John.

"I have no idea," said Remy.

"Hmm," Said Colossus.


End file.
